Students Help Professor Teach Next Fall

Siloam Springs, Ark. (March 9, 2005) - John Brown University’s Dr. Dan Lambert, associate professor of youth ministries, will teach a class on youth culture at Kiev Theological Seminary (KTS) in Ukraine for two weeks in September 2005. Last semester, the biblical studies division at JBU secured funds for two scholarships for two JBU students to accompany Lambert to aid in teaching in this unique cross-cultural ministry opportunity.
After an application and interview process, JBU awarded scholarships to Aaron Elmore, a senior youth ministry major from North Carolina, and Ryan Hawk, a senior youth ministry major from Colorado.
“These two students have a unique educational opportunity to see how students in another culture are equipped to minister to the growing youth population,” Lambert said. “I am confident that this experience will benefit both of these young men for years to come by exposing them to a more global picture of ministry.”
Lambert and the students will teach a class on youth culture at KTS through Russian translators. KTS is an evangelical seminary that equips students studying for ministry in Russian-speaking countries, most of whom are Russian and Ukrainian youth workers.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to serve and learn in a brand new environment,” said Elmore. “Last semester, Dr. Lambert shared that America had most of the world’s youth ministry professionals, while only having a small percentage of the world’s teens. He felt called to be willing to serve in other areas of the world that needed youth ministry veterans to come and train those who minister with youth. As soon as he presented the opportunity for a few students to share in this vision, I knew I wanted to go.”
The two students will help Lambert by doing several presentations and assisting other students in completing an exercise to evaluate youth culture in Kiev.
“It’s like the ultimate college final,” said Hawk. “I'm looking forward to this trip because it requires me to take everything God has taught me thus far in college and in life and translate it to have an impact on Russian youth culture.”
The students were accepted from a competitive applicant pool consisting of eleven JBU youth ministry majors and minors. Lambert chose four seniors with significant international experience to be interviewed as finalists. The finalists interviewed with other faculty, and Lambert chose the two students based on the faculty recommendations.
John Brown University is a private Christian university, ranked eighth by U.S. News & World Report in the Southern Region. JBU enrolls more than 1,900 students from 43 states and 39 countries. JBU is a member of Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.